Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

The Florida Native Plant Society has an excellent feature on its webpage called Natives for Landscaping—Choose Your Location where you click on your county to select it and then make choices for "Light Range", "Water Needs" and "Soil" to aid you in choosing the right plant for your site.  I chose Polk County and "Shade" and "Sand".  Since I wasn't sure of the soil moisture, I left that criteria unselected.   Below are some of the plants that resulted from the search in Polk County for plants that will grow in the shade and in the sand.

Very few grasses grow well in the shade.  The only grass resulting from the search was Oplismenus hirtellus (Bristle basketgrass).  It is dormant in the winter but makes a nice groundcover during the spring, summer and fall.

Mitchella repens (Partridgeberry) is a very small evergreen plant that will make a low groundcover.  Here is more information from the Florida Native Plant Society

Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the pulpit) is winter dormant.  Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower) is deciduous and can grow to as tall as 6 feet.   Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

Ruellia caroliniensis (Carolina wild petunia) is winter dormant.   Here is more information from the Florida Native Plant Society.

Saururus cernuus (Lizard's tail) is evergreen.   Here is more information from the Florida Native Plant Society.

Teucrium canadense (Canada germander) is winter dormant.   Here is more information from the Florida Native Plant Society.

 Verbesina virginica (Frostweed) is deciduous.  Here is more information from the Florida Native Plant Society.

Ferns do well in shade and part shade.  The following ferns grow in Polk County and are evergreen.

Dryopteris ludoviciana (Southern woodfern) is evergreen.  Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

Nephrolepis exaltata (Boston swordfern) is evergreen.  Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

Thelypteris kunthii (Wood fern) is evergreen in Florida.   Here is more information about the genus Thelypteris from the Florida Native Plant Society.

Here are a few shrubs that will grow in shade and sand:

Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo bush) is deciduous.   Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

Ardisia escallonoides (Island marlberry) is evergreen.  Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

Sabal minor (Dwarf palmetto) is evergreen.  Here is more information from Florida Native Plant Society.

You can search the Florida Native Plant Society page for more possibilities for plants.